Phytochemical Study of the Composition of the Unsaponifiable Fraction of Various Vegetable Oils by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Abstract: We developed a method for quantitatively analyzing some components of the unsaponifiable fraction of edible oils and validated its characteristics. The component composition of the unsaponifiable fraction of 26 edible oil species was studied by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Squalene, sterols, and triterpene alcohols were quantified in oils using cholestenol as an internal standard. Some correlations were found between the structure of sterols and triterpene alcohols and their retention indices and electron impact fragmentation. More than 150 chemical compounds—unsaponifiable components—were identified. The method can be used to estimate the concentration of sterols, triterpene alcohols, and squalene in edible oils and determine the authenticity of oils by the characteristic profiles of the unsaponifiable fraction. © 2021, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.